Sonnerie de Ste-Geneviève du Mont-de-Paris

Sonnerie de Sainte-Geneviève du Mont de Paris, "The Bells of St. Genevieve" in English, is a work by Marin Marais written in 1723 for viol, violin and harpsichord with basso continuo. It can be considered a passacaglia or a chaconne, with a repeating D, F, E bass line. It is perhaps Marais' most famous composition that explores the various techniques of the viol, an instrument he studied as a student of Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe. The work begins with 4 measures of the bass line played by the continuo and viol, then, on the 5th measure the violin takes over the melody.